Orthopaedic implant and method of installing same

ABSTRACT

An orthopaedic implant comprises an articulation head comprising a bearing surface and a reverse surface and a securement disk. The securement disk comprises an attachment surface attached to at least a portion of the reverse surface of the articulation head, a securement surface opposite the attachment surface and adapted for coupling to a fixation plate secured to a bone, and at least one opening formed in the securement surface of the securement disk and adapted to accept fasteners therein. The securement disk comprises a porous material.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/800,149, filed Mar. 13, 2013, the contents of which is incorporatedherein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to orthopaedic implants, andmore particularly, to orthopaedic implants for repairing and/orreplacing natural joints.

BACKGROUND

A natural joint may undergo degenerative changes for a variety orreasons, for instance arthritis. Alternatively, a joint may besufficiently fractured or otherwise damaged by an external force. When ajoint is sufficiently degenerated or damaged, it may be necessary toreplace a natural joint or portions of a natural joint with a prostheticjoint or portions of a prosthetic joint.

One such natural joint that may need replacement is the shoulder joint.Conventional shoulder prostheses comprise a humeral implant andoptionally a glenoid implant. Typically, the humeral implant comprises astem for insertion into a bore extending into the intramedullary canalgenerally along the longitudinal axis of the bone and an articulationcomponent, such as a convex bearing head. Typically, the articulationcomponent is coupled to a neck portion of the stem, which extends fromthe intramedullary canal at an inclined angle relative to thelongitudinal axis of a distal portion of the stem in order to recreatethe arrangement of the natural joint.

SUMMARY

According to one aspect, an orthopaedic implant comprises a fixationplate and an articulation component comprising a bearing surface and anopposing securement surface formed of a porous material. The implantfurther includes at least one fastener extending through the fixationplate and secured within the porous material of the securement surfaceof the articulation component.

The articulation component may include an articulation head having aconvex outer surface forming the articulation surface and a reversesurface opposite the convex outer surface. A securement disk having anattachment surface may be disposed adjacent the reverse surface of thearticulation head.

The securement disk may include a securement surface and at least oneradial slot formed in the securement surface and adapted to accept theat least one fastener.

A shorter fastener may be secured within the radial slot near an inneredge of the radial slot and a longer fastener may be secured within theradial slot near an outer edge of the radial slot, thereby allowingflexibility in the length of fasteners used with the articulationcomponent.

The radial slot may extend into the securement disk between thesecurement surface and the attachment surface.

The radial slot may include at least one wall along extending outwardlyfrom at least a portion of a perimeter of the slot, wherein the fastenermay engage the at least one wall and a wall forming the slot to retainthe fastener within the slot.

The implant may include a plurality of fasteners and a plurality ofradial slots within the securement disk, wherein each of the pluralityof fasteners is secured within a respective radial slot of the pluralityof radial slots.

The securement disk may be formed of titanium foam.

According to another aspect, an orthopaedic implant includes anarticulation head comprising a bearing surface and a reverse surface anda securement disk. The securement disk includes an attachment surfaceattached to at least a portion of the reverse surface of thearticulation head and a securement surface opposite the attachmentsurface and adapted for coupling to a fixation plate secured to a bone.At least one opening is formed in the securement surface of thesecurement disk and adapted to accept fasteners therein. The securementdisk comprises a porous material.

The at least one opening may be in the form of a radial slot formed inthe securement surface and adapted to accept fasteners.

A shorter fastener may be secured within the radial slot near an inneredge of the slot and a longer fastener may be secured within the radialslot near an outer edge of the slot, thereby allowing flexibility in thelength of fasteners used with the articulation component.

The radial slot may extend into the securement disk between thesecurement surface and the attachment surface.

The radial slot may include at least one wall along extending outwardlyfrom at least a portion of a perimeter of the slot, wherein the fastenermay engage the at least one wall and a wall forming the slot to retainthe fasteners within the slot.

The securement disk may be formed of titanium foam.

According to yet another aspect, a method of installing an orthopaedicimplant includes the step of selecting at least a fixation plate and aset of fasteners for a patient, wherein the fixation plate and the setof fasteners correspond to the natural anatomy of a patient. The methodfurther includes the steps of accessing the fractured bone and assessingthe extent of fracture of the bone. If the extent of the fracture is ata first level, the fixation plate, an articulation component selectedbased on the patient's natural anatomy, and the set of fasteners areutilized to replace a portion of the fractured bone. If the extent ofthe fracture is at a second level different than the first level, onlythe fixation plate and the set of fasteners are utilized to repair thefractured bone.

If the fracture is at the first level, the method may further includethe steps of removing a head of the fractured bone and securing thefixation plate to a surface of the fractured bone. The method mayfurther include the steps of positioning the articulation component inthe place of the head, aligning the articulation component with thefixation plate, and inserting the fasteners through the fixation plateand the articulation component to secure the articulation component tothe fixation plate.

The method may further include the steps of selecting a set of fastenershaving a length and securing the set of fasteners in radial slots formedin the articulation component. The structure of the articulationcomponent forming the radial slots may be formed of a porous material.The length of the set of fasteners and a placement of the fastenerswithin the radial slots may determine a neck length.

The aligning step may include the steps of inserting a first end of aninstrument through a hole in the fixation plate and guiding the firstend into a hole formed within the articulation component. These stepsset a neck length between the fixation plate and the articulationcomponent and prevent rotation of the articulation component duringplacement of the fasteners.

If the fracture is at the second level, the method may further includethe steps of securing the fixation plate to the bone and inserting thefasteners through the fixation plate and into a fractured nativearticulation component to secure the fractured native articulationcomponent to the fixation plate.

Other aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will becomeapparent upon consideration of the following drawings and detaileddescription, wherein similar structures have similar reference numbers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description particularly refers to the following figures,in which:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a first embodiment of an orthopaedicimplant, for example a humeral implant, including a fixation plate, anarticulation component, and a plurality of fastenters for connecting thefixation plate and the articulation component;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the arthoplasty implant of FIG. 1 andfurther depicting the articulation component including a securementdisk, an articulation head, and a connector for joining the securementdisk and the articulation head;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, exploded view of the securement disk, thearticulation head, and the connector of the articulation component ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the fixation plate of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are bottom and top elevational views of the securementdisk of FIG. 2, wherein the securement disk includes a plurality ofradial slots for accommodating the fasteners and a central circular holefor accommodating the connector of FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a four part fracture of a proximalhumerus;

FIG. 8A is a side elevational view of the orthopaedic implant of FIG. 1implanted within the proximal humerus of FIG. 7 and depicting a firstend of an instrument extending through the fixation plate and a secondend of the tool extending into the articulation component of FIGS. 1-3to align the fixation plate and the articulation component duringsurgery;

FIG. 8B is a perspective view of the instrument depicted in FIG. 8A foraligning the fixation plate and the articulation component duringsurgery;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the fixation plate, the fasteners,and the articulation component of the orthopaedic implant of FIGS. 1 and2 implanted within the proximal humerus; and

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of the fixation plate and thefasteners of orthopaedic implant of FIGS. 1 and 2 implanted within theproximal humerus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the concepts of the present disclosure are susceptible to variousmodifications and alternative forms, specific exemplary embodimentsthereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and willherein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, thatthere is no intent to limit the concepts of the present disclosure tothe particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is tocover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling withinthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Terms representing anatomical references, such as anterior, posterior,medial, lateral, superior, inferior, etcetera, may be used throughoutthis disclosure in reference to both the orthopaedic implants describedherein and a patient's natural anatomy. Such terms have well-understoodmeanings in both the study of anatomy and the field of orthopaedics. Useof such anatomical reference terms in the specification and claims isintended to be consistent with their well-understood meanings unlessnoted otherwise.

Referring now to the figures, an embodiment of an orthopaedic implant 20is depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. The orthopaedic implant 20 generallyincludes a fixation plate 22, a plurality of fasteners 24, for examplescrews, and an articulation component 26. The fixation plate 22comprises an elongate body 30 and a head 32 arranged to conform to thesurface of the lateral surface 33 of the proximal humerus 34. Aplurality of screw holes 36 are formed within the body 30 for securingthe fixation plate 22 to the proximal humerus 34 with bone screws 38, asshown in FIG. 9. While a particular number of screw holes 36 aredepicted, any suitable number of screw holes 36 and corresponding bonescrews 38 may be utilized to attach the fixation plate 22 to theproximal humerus 34. A slotted screw hole 44 is also provided forinitial fixation of the fixation plate 22 to the proximal humerus 34. Inparticular, if utilized for initial fixation, a bone screw 38 may beinserted into the proximal humerus 34 through the slotted hole 44,allowing the fixation plate 22 to slide along the proximal humerus 34before the fixation plate 22 is permanently attached.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the head 32 of the fixation plate 22extends from the body 30 and the head 32 tapers outwardly as it movesaway from the body 30 to conform to the shape of the proximal humerus34. The head 32 of the fixation plate 22 includes a number of screwholes 50 and a guide hole 52, wherein the screws 24 and/or an instrument142, as described below, may be inserted through the screw holes 50 andthe guide hole 52 to secure the fixation plate 22 to the articulationcomponent 26 or a humeral head 120, as will be discussed in greaterdetail below. The guide hole 52 is disposed below the screw holes 50 andmay be utilized in combination with an instrument 142 to align thefixation plate 22 with the articulation component 26, as will bediscussed in greater detail hereinafter.

The screws 24 may be configured to be inserted into bone, titanium foam,and/or any other suitable material. The screws 24 include threading thatis sized to mate with threading formed within the screw holes 50. Heads60 of the screws have a diameter that is larger than the threading ofthe screws 24 and the screw holes 50. In this manner, the screw heads 60abut annular ledges 62, as seen in FIG. 4, formed within the screw holes50 when inserted therethrough.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the articulation component 26 includesa securement disk 70, a connector 72, and an articulation head 74. Thearticulation head 74 includes a convex bearing surface 76 that may bedefined by a portion of a sphere. The articulation head 74 furtherincludes a reverse surface 78 defining a recess 80 for positioning ofthe securement disk 70 therein. In particular, the reverse surface 78may include a partially spherical surface 82 and a planar surface 84,wherein a bore 86 is formed within the planar surface 84. The bore 86 isformed by a tapered wall 88 extending from the planar surface 84 towardthe convex bearing surface 76, wherein the bore 86 terminates beforereaching the convex bearing surface 76. The articulation head 74 may beconstructed with biocompatible metal, such as a cobalt chrome alloy,although other materials may also be used.

The securement disk 70, as seen in FIGS. 2, 3, 5, and 6, of thearticulation component 26 includes an attachment surface 90 and asecurement surface 92 that are generally parallel. A partially sphericalside surface 94 extends between the attachment and securement surfaces90, 92 and may have a shape that generally conforms to a shape of thepartially spherical surface 82 of the articulation head 74. Thesecurement disk 70 may further include a central circular hole 96, fourradial slots 98 spaced from the central hole 96 and extending toward theside surface 94, and four circular holes 100 having a smaller diameterthan the central hole 96 and being spaced between each pair of radialslots 98. The securement disk 70 may be constructed of a porous metal,for example, titanium foam or any other suitable material.

The radial slots 98 may optionally include peripheral walls 101extending outwardly from the securement surface 92 and surrounding therespective slots 98. In the embodiment depicted, walls forming theradial slots 98 are smooth. In an alternative embodiment, the wallsforming the radial slots 98 and/or the peripheral walls 101 may includethreads to facilitate insertion of the screws 24 into the radial slots98, as will be discussed in greater detail hereinafter.

While the radial slots 98 are depicted as extending through thesecurement disk 70, the slots 98 may alternatively extend through only aportion of the securement disk 70. Specifically, the slots 98 need onlybe deep enough to provide a guide for insertion of the screws 24 intothe securement disk 70.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the connector 72 is depicted as having adistal end 102 that is generally cylindrical in shape and a proximal end104 opposite the distal end 102 and which tapers inwardly as it extendsaway from the distal end 102. The connector 72 may be made of rubber, apolymeric material, a metal, or any other material suitable for forminga friction fit with the articulation head 74 and the securement disk 70.In particular, during the manufacture of the articulation component 26,the securement disk 70 is secured to the articulation head 74 by theconnector 72. More specifically, the securement disk 70 is molded usingknown molding methods. During the molding process and before thesecurement disk 70 has set, the distal end 102 of the connector 72 isinserted into the central circular hole 96 of the securement disk 70. Asthe mold sets, the securement disk 70 shrinks around the distal end 102of the connector 72 to form a friction fit therebetween. The proximalend 104 of the connector 72 is thereafter inserted into the bore 86 ofthe articulation head 74 and a mallet or other tool is utilized to forcethe proximal end 104 of the connector 72 into the bore 86 (e.g., byexerting pressure against the securement disk 70) to form a friction fitbetween the connector 72 and the tapered wall 88 forming the bore 86.Optionally, these steps may be performed in any other suitable order.Still further, while one method of securing the securement disk 70 tothe articulation head 74 is disclosed, any suitable manner of securingthe securement disk 70 to the articulation head 74 may alternatively oradditionally be utilized.

An exemplary surgical procedure for implanting the orthopaedic implant20 of FIGS. 1 and 2 to repair a fractured humeral head 120 will now bedescribed. It will be appreciated that details of the surgical proceduremay vary, for instance, according to the preferences of the surgeon.

When the proximal humerus 34 is fractured, the proximal humerus 34generally breaks into several pieces, typically three or four. Inparticular, for a four part fracture, as illustrated in FIG. 7, thehumeral head 120 splits off at the level of the anatomical neckindicated by line 122, the greater tuberosity 124 and lesser tuberosity126 are separated from the humeral shaft 128 below the tuberosities 124,126, and the tuberosities 124, 126 are separated from one another alongthe biceptal groove 130. More specifically, the greater tuberosity 124is displaced superiorly and posteriorly by the attached rotator cuff,while the lesser tuberosity 126 is retracted medially by the attachedsubscapularis. The fractured end of the humeral shaft 128 is displacedmedially by the pull of the pectoralis major. In a three part fracture,the greater or lesser tuberosity 124, 126 remains attached to thehumeral head 120, which in consequence is rotated internally by thesubscapularis tendon. Necrosis may begin for both three part and fourpart fractures, as there is no longer a blood supply to the humeral head120. If this is the case, the humeral head 120 may be replaced and thegreater and lesser tuberosities 124, 126 are reattached to the humeralshaft 128.

The surgeon must first gain access to the fractured humeral head 120.The patient is therefore positioned so as to allow the surgeon freeaccess to the injured shoulder, for example, with the injured armhanging free, thereby providing space for later manipulation of the arm.The fracture may be examined using fluoroscopy, including under internaland/or external rotation. A deltopectoral exposure may be used toidentify the coracoid, acromium, and deltoid insertion. The intervalbetween the pectoralis and the deltoid is developed and the incisionline is extended distally from the coracoid. The exposure may be througha 12-14 centimeter incision. The incision may be held open using selfretaining retractors. Care must be taken to identify and retract thecephalic vein. The coracobrachialis is retracted medially and thepectoralis insertion at the floor of the deltopectoral interval islocated allowing the subacromial space to be developed to mobilize theproximal deltoid. While one method of accessing the fracture humeralhead 120 is described, any other suitable method may be utilized.

The fixation plate 22 may be provided in multiple sizes, so anappropriately sized fixation plate 22 is selected. Thereafter, ananterior side 140 of the fixation plate 22 is aligned with the lateralsurface 33 of the humeral shaft 128 and the fixation plate 22 is securedto the lateral surface 33 of the proximal humerus 34. More specifically,a bone screw 38 is inserted through the slotted screw hole 44 in thefixation plate 22 and secured to the humeral shaft 128 utilizing anytools and/or methods known in the art. The slotted screw hole 44 allowsthe fixation plate 22 to be moved along the humeral shaft 128 toposition the fixation plate 22 appropriately. Once positionedappropriately, the bone screw 38 within the slotted screw hole 44 istightened within the lateral surface 33. Additional bone screws 38 maybe inserted through the screw holes 36 of the fixation plate 22 andsecured to the humeral shaft 128 utilizing any tool known in the art.The additional bone screws 38 may be secured to the humeral shaft 128before or after connecting the fixation plate 22 to the articulationcomponent 36, as described below.

Any time during the procedure, the surgeon may assess whether thefracture is at a level in which repair may be possible or at a levelthat necessitates replacement of the fractured humeral head 120. If thesurgeon believes repair is possible, he may proceed as such. Forexample, in a fracture wherein the humeral head 120 has not split off atthe level of the anatomical neck indicated by the line 122, the humeralhead 120 may not need to be replaced. In a repair, the surgeon wouldinstall the screws 24 through any number of the five screw holes 50 andthe guide hole 52. During this process, the surgeon would attempt topull the fractured bone fragments back together and anchor ends of atleast some of the screws 24 in the humeral head 120, as seen in FIG. 10.

If, at any time during the installation of the screws 24, the surgeondetermines that the fracture is too extensive, the surgeon may abandonthe repair and easily switch to a replacement. In particular, thesurgeon would use the fixation plate 22 and the screws 24 that wereinserted through the screw holes 50 in the fixation plate 22 as a basefor the replacement procedure. In this manner, the fixation plate 22 andthe screws 24 provide a base system for both a repair and a replacementprocedure and need not be removed when switching between a repair and areplacement procedure.

The orthopaedic implant 20 provides a system that allows a surgeon tobegin a surgical procedure with a particular plan in mind and switch theplan intra-operatively without the need to remove the fixation plate 22and the fasteners 24 and/or implant others. Rather, the components ofthe orthopaedic implant 20 may be used in different manners for a repair(e.g., using only the fixation plate 22 and the screws 24) and areplacement (e.g., using the fixation plate 22, the screws 24, and thearticulation component 26).

In the replacement procedure, the detached humeral head 120 may beremoved (after releasing the fractured head 120 from the greater orlesser tuberosity 124, 126 in the case of a three-part fracture). Thearticulation component 26 may be provided in a range of sizes that matchthe patient's natural humeral head. The appropriate size of articulationcomponent 26 and screws 24 are selected to replicate the patient'snatural humeral head and neck. The tuberosities 124, 126 are releasedfrom underlying soft tissues, taking care to protect the axillary nervewhen mobilizing the lesser tuberosity and the attached subscapularismuscle tendon. The tuberosities 124, 126 are released to allow them tobe coupled to each other and to the fixation plate 22.

An instrument 142, as seen in FIGS. 8A and 8B, may be used to align thefixation plate 22 with the articulation component 26. In particular, theinstrument 142 may be used to set a neck length, or a distance betweenthe fixation plate 22 and the articulation component 26, to match thatof the natural anatomy of the patient. The instrument 142 includes acentral shaft 144 having threading disposed therearound, an elongateprojection 146 extending from a first end 148 of the central shaft 144and having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the central shaft 144,and an enlarged head 150 extending from a second end 152 of the centralshaft 144 and having a diameter larger than the diameters of the centralshaft 144 and the elongate projection 146.

Referring to FIG. 8A, the elongate projection 146 is inserted throughthe guide hole 52 in the fixation plate 22. Simultaneously, or prior toinsertion of the instrument 142, the articulation component 26 ispositioned in the location of the removed humeral head 120. As thecentral shaft 144 reaches the guide hole 52, the threading on thecentral shaft 144 engages the threading of the guide hole 52, therebyrequiring a user to rotate the instrument 142 to further insert theinstrument 142 through the guide hole 52. The threading on the centralshaft 144 and the guide hole 52 allow a surgeon to set the neck length.As the user rotates the instrument 142, the elongate projection 146enters one of the four circular holes 100 disposed within the securementdisk 70. Once the elongate projection 146 is disposed within one of thecircular holes 100, the instrument 142 retains the fixation plate 22 andthe articulation component 26 in alignment and prevents rotation of thearticulation component 26.

Once the fixation plate 22 and the articulation component 26 areproperly aligned and spaced to create the proper neck length, the screws24 are inserted through the screw holes 50 in the fixation plate 22. Thesecurement disk 70 of the articulation component 26 is aligned such thateach of the screws 24 may be inserted into a respective radial slot 98in the securement disk 70. If required, a drill or other tool may beused to form bores in remaining bone fragments for receiving the screws24. Alternatively, the screws 24 may extend above the fracture line ofthe humeral shaft 128, or minimal bone removal may be required. As eachscrew 24 reaches a respective radial slot 98, the threads of the screws24 enter the radial slots 98. Due to the porous nature of the securementdisk 70, the threads of the screws 24 engage the radial slots 98 and/orthe peripheral walls 101 and cut into the material of the securementdisk 70. More specifically, the threads cut into the walls forming theradial slots 98 and/or the peripheral walls 101 to thereby secure thescrews 24 to the securement disk 70. Since a thickness of the securementdisk 70 is governed by the overall size of the articulation component26, the peripheral walls 101 provide a greater height along which thescrews 24 may engage the securement disk 70. Once the screws 24 aresecured within the securement disk 70 of the articulation component 26,the instrument 142 may be removed therefrom.

While the steps of aligning the fixation plate 22 and the articulationcomponent 26 and preventing rotation of the articulation component 26are described and depicted herein as being accomplished using theinstrument 142, the fixation plate 22 and the articulation component 26may be alternatively or additionally aligned in any suitable manner androtation of the articulation component 26 may be prevented in anysuitable manner.

As seen in FIG. 1, the screws 24 are diverging and, thus,differently-sized screws 24 will contact the radial slots 98 atdifferent points along the slots 98. For example, shorter screws 24 willcontact the radial slots 98 closer to inner radial edges 160, as seen inFIGS. 5 and 6, of the slots 98 and longer screws 24 will contact theradial slots 98 closer to outer radial edges 162 of the slots 98. Theradial slots 98 therefore allow screws 24 of different lengths to besecured to the securement disk 70 without the need for adifferently-sized securement disk 70 for every length of screws 24. Thesurgeon selects screws that are appropriate for the patient and whichcreate the desired neck length for that patient.

After implantation of the fixation plate 22, the articulation component26, and the screws 24, bone fragments, such as the greater and lessertuberosities 124, 126 may be attached in any suitable manner to thehumeral shaft 128 to position and prevent movement of the bonefragments.

While screws are described herein as securing or implanting one or morecomponents to each other and/or to bone, any suitable fasteners may beused.

While the embodiments of the present disclosure are described withrespect to implantation upon and within a humerus, the principles of thepresent invention may be utilized in conjunction with other implants,for example for the hip and/or the knee.

As will become apparent from reading the present specification, any ofthe features of any of the embodiments disclosed herein may beincorporated within any of the other embodiments without departing fromthe scope of the present disclosure.

While the disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in thedrawings and foregoing description, such an illustration and descriptionis to be considered as exemplary and not restrictive in character, itbeing understood that only illustrative embodiments have been shown anddescribed and that all changes and modifications that come within thespirit of the disclosure are desired to be protected.

There are a plurality of advantages of the present disclosure arisingfrom the various features of the apparatus, system, and method describedherein. It will be noted that alternative embodiments of the apparatus,system, and method of the present disclosure may not include all of thefeatures described yet still benefit from at least some of theadvantages of such features. Those of ordinary skill in the art mayreadily devise their own implementations of the apparatus, system, andmethod that incorporate one or more of the features of the presentinvention and fall within the spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure.

1. An orthopaedic implant, comprising: an articulation head comprising abearing surface and a reverse surface; and a securement disk comprising:an attachment surface attached to at least a portion of the reversesurface of the articulation head; a securement surface opposite theattachment surface and adapted for coupling to a fixation plate securedto a bone; and at least one opening formed in the securement surface ofthe securement disk and adapted to accept fasteners therein; wherein thesecurement disk comprises a porous material.
 2. The implant of claim 1,wherein the at least one opening is in the form of a radial slot formedin the securement surface and adapted to accept fasteners.
 3. Theimplant of claim 2, wherein a shorter fastener is secured within theradial slot near an inner edge of the slot and a longer fastener issecured within the radial slot near an outer edge of the slot, therebyallowing flexibility in the length of fasteners used with thearticulation component.
 4. The implant of claim 2, wherein the radialslot extend into the securement disk between the securement surface andthe attachment surface.
 5. The implant of claim 2, wherein the radialslot includes at least one wall along extending outwardly from at leasta portion of a perimeter of the slot, wherein the fastener engages theat least one wall and a wall forming the slot to retain the fastenerwithin the slot.
 6. The implant of claim 1, wherein the securement diskis formed of titanium foam.
 7. A method of installing an orthopaedicimplant, the method comprising the steps of: selecting at least afixation plate and a set of fasteners for a patient, wherein thefixation plate and the set of fasteners correspond to the naturalanatomy of a patient; accessing the fractured bone; assessing the extentof fracture of the bone; and if the extent of the fracture is at a firstlevel, utilizing the fixation plate, an articulation component selectedbased on the patient's natural anatomy, and the set of fasteners toreplace a portion of the fractured bone; or if the extent of thefracture is at a second level different than the first level, utilizingonly the fixation plate and the set of fasteners to repair the fracturedbone.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein, if the fracture is at the firstlevel, the method further includes the steps of: removing a head of thefractured bone; securing the fixation plate to a surface of thefractured bone; positioning the articulation component in the place ofthe head; aligning the articulation component with the fixation plate;and inserting the fasteners through the fixation plate and thearticulation component to secure the articulation component to thefixation plate.
 9. The method of claim 8, further including the stepsof: selecting a set of fasteners having a length; and securing the setof fasteners in radial slots formed in the articulation component;wherein the structure of the articulation component forming the radialslots is formed of a porous material; wherein the length of the set offasteners and a placement of the fasteners within the radial slotsdetermines a neck length.
 10. The method of claim 8, wherein thealigning step includes the steps of: inserting a first end of aninstrument through a hole in the fixation plate; and guiding the firstend into a hole formed within the articulation component, therebysetting a neck length between the fixation plate and the articulationcomponent and preventing rotation of the articulation component duringplacement of the fasteners.
 11. The method of claim 7, wherein, if thefracture is at the second level, the method further includes the stepsof: securing the fixation plate to the bone; and inserting the fastenersthrough the fixation plate and into a fractured native articulationcomponent to secure the fractured native articulation component to thefixation plate.